Mia Love, the trailblazing former congresswoman from Utah and the first Black Republican woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, has passed away at the age of 49 following a courageous battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.
Her family released a heartfelt statement announcing her passing: “With grateful hearts filled to overflowing for the profound influence of Mia on our lives, we want you to know that she passed away peacefully. We are thankful for the many good wishes, prayers and condolences.” Love had recently entered hospice care, with treatments no longer able to contain the illness.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox described her as “a true friend” and someone “beloved by all who knew her,” a sentiment echoed by those across the political spectrum who admired Love for her principles, her resilience, and her pioneering spirit.
Born Ludmya Bourdeau to Haitian immigrant parents, Love entered public life with a deep-rooted sense of responsibility and conviction. She began her political career in 2003 on the Saratoga Springs city council before becoming mayor, and later capturing national attention with her historic election to Congress in 2014. Though her path to Washington wasn’t without setbacks—she narrowly lost her first congressional bid in 2012—Love returned stronger, winning two years later and making history.
During her tenure, she served as a principled voice within the GOP. Known for her thoughtful conservatism, she supported tax reform and advocated for fiscal discipline, yet she wasn’t afraid to stand apart from her party’s leadership when her conscience demanded it.
She famously distanced herself from Donald Trump during his rise, skipping the 2016 RNC and voicing disapproval over the “Access Hollywood” controversy. That independence ultimately cost her politically—she lost her 2018 reelection bid by just 700 votes to Democrat Ben McAdams—but it gained her lasting respect from colleagues and commentators alike.
Following her time in office, Love became a political analyst for CNN, offering a nuanced conservative perspective in a polarized media environment. In 2023, she publicly revealed her cancer diagnosis in an emotional interview with Jake Tapper, hoping her story would serve as a beacon of strength for others facing daunting battles. “There is hope!” she wrote at the time. “For me, that hope comes from my faith and my family.”
Love’s final public message, published as an op-ed in Deseret News, reads like a quiet farewell and a passionate plea to the American people: a call for unity, civility, and the preservation of the values that defined her life.
“I hope you will see the America I know in the years ahead,” she wrote, “that you will hear my words in the whisper of the wind of freedom and feel my presence in the flame of the enduring principles of liberty.”
